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Email marketing is growing and evolving everyday. If you want to keep up with trends and grow a successful email marketing campaign, learn about our ABC’s of email marketing.

–A–

Audience: Know who you are talking to. It is important to personalize and design your message based on who your audience is!

–B–

Build Your List: Don’t purchase lists of emails, look for ways to organically build your own subscriber list. Use sign-ups on your website, blogs, social media and live events to grow your database of emails. Make sure your customer’s know what they are signing up for before they submit their email.

–C–

Call To Action: The most vital piece of content within your email is the call to action (CTA). Your goal after subscribers open your email should be compelling them to click on your content. Generally stick with one CTA per email, but don’t be afraid to take risks and see what works for your business.

–D–

Design: No matter what method you use for designing (templates or hiring a designer), make sure your email fits in with your brand. Your design should be recognizable and consistent!

–E–

Engagement: Evaluate your email’s success by checking metrics, such as opens, clicks and unsubscribes. If you find high click rates, you have a successful email program. If your metrics are lower than you hoped, try re-engaging your subscribers with a special or event. If that tactic doesn’t work, remove them from your list. Many businesses have more success send emails to a small, engaged group rather than a large, unengaged list.

–F–

Frequency: Try a few different options; see what works best for your subscriber list. Try once a week, or twice a week, every other week, or once a month. As you try new tactics, track your open rates, see what gives you the highest percentage.

–G–

Give First: Don’t overwhelm your subscribers with spammy, promotional emails. Before you ask for purchases, offer your services or something of value to them. This will gain trust between you and your customers.

–H–

Holidays: Stand out and be creative around the major holidays. Many subscribers will be already looking for the big deals that we all have come to expect, so stand out from the rest with a creative, innovative email idea.

–I–

Invest Your Time: Spend quality time preparing your emails and your subscription lists, in order to receive the success you are looking for.

–J–

Join Your Community: Grow your network and your subscription list by getting your name and business out there. Join groups where you meet with others in the community with common interests. While at meetings and events, network as much as possible.

–K–

Keep Your List Clean: Constantly check your metrics for unengaged subscribers. Remove users that are frequently unengaged, this allows you to maintain a high success rate for opening and clicking through emails.

–L–

Location: It will always be important to include the physical location of your business within your email. Find a place at the bottom or top of the email to include this information, and consistently put it there.

–M–

Metrics: As you have heard, metrics are incredibly important. Decide which metrics are the most important to you and your business, and follow them as closely as possible, whether it’s your open rate, click through rate or subscribers.

–N–

Not all Designers are Email Designers: Email marketing and email design are their own distinct art. If you can, work with an email design specialist that can create a cohesive email program with your business in mind. You are more likely to get a specialized email campaign for your specific brand.

–O–

Opt-In: Give your recipients the option to opt-in to receive your emails. Remember that not everyone truly wants emails after they have made a purchase or signed up for a giveaway. Allowing recipients to opt-in and out builds your list stronger.

–P–

Permission Marketing: Permission marketing is an approach in which potential customers explicitly agree to receive marketing information, such as emails. Start building your relationships, by asking for permission first.

–Q–

Quit Using “No-Reply” Email Addresses: Email marketing should be more than a one-way monologue. When using a “no-reply” address, it can give your customer’s the thought that you don’t want to hear from them. Allow your customers the ability to reply directly to an email with any questions, comments or concerns they may have.

–R–

Re-Engagement Campaigns: Segment out your subscribers who have consistently been unengaged and send them an email that could potentially win back their engagement. This email should ask them if they’re still interested in receiving your emails and may include a special offer. If the recipient does not re-opt in, you may remove them from your list.

–S–

Segmentation: Segmentation within email marketing is a way of personalizing who gets which emails. You can segment your recipients based on their purchases, their locations or what time they open your emails. You should see better engagement if you cater your messages to specific characteristics of your subscriber’s tastes, interests and activities.

–T–

Testing: An important piece of email marketing is testing to see what works with your subscribers list. After your initial test, periodically test for changes. Test pieces such as timing, subject lines and calls to action. Keep in mind, only test one element at a time in order to draw conclusive results.

–U–

Unsubscribe: Make it visible and easy for recipients to unsubscribe if they wish to.

–V–

Volume: Sending a consistent volume of emails is key. Send emails on a regular basis so your customer is used to the volume they are receiving. If you decide high volume is right for your business, build up the volume gradually, allowing your subscribers to get used to the volume.

–W–

Welcome Email: Start your new subscribers off with a welcome email! These emails give you an opportunity to introduce yourself and the business, as well as getting off to the right start with your subscribers.

–X–

Example Email: Share your most recent newsletter while asking new subscribers to opt-in. This shows them exactly what to expect with your email campaign and gives them a chance to see if this is what they want to sign up for.

–Y–

Your Customers Come First: Don’t send emails just to send emails, make sure the emails you send add value to your users. Listen to what they have to say, watch your metrics for engagement and of course, show your appreciation by saying “thank you!”

–Z–

Zone In On Your VIP Recipients: Your VIP recipients are your best ambassadors. They are those who always open and click through your email. Start by recognizing who those recipients are and use it to your advantage. Survey these VIP’s to see how you can improve your email program, as well as reward them with specials or discounts to show your appreciation.

The key to email marketing really comes down to knowing your audience and what fits best for your business. Don’t be afraid to take chances or try something new. Learn and grow as your subscriber list does.

1. SOCIAL NETWORKING IS KEY

Today is the era of social media marketing, and don’t let your small business get by without keeping up with the trends. This inexpensive form of marketing can greatly boost your business in the customer’s mind. Make it your goal to be the first post they see when they log into their Facebook, twitter or Google+ account. The more frequently and consistently you post, the more likely you will be seen by potential customers. The great thing about sites like Facebook is they have analytics and statistics built in. They make it easy for your business to track which posts were popular and which had less success. This will allow you to better tailor what you post, to your audience.

2. CREATE GREAT CONTENT

Whether you are strictly using your website, or if you can be found all over the internet, the key to marketing your small business is creating great content. Find an idea that catches your eye and tailor it to your own business. An easy way to discover great content is to follow pages and social media sites of businesses within the same industry as your business. NEVER steal an idea outright, but see what has gained others success and create something new for you.

3. VIDEOS, VIDEOS, VIDEOS

Video advertising and marketing has taken the world by storm. Videos have recently become the ‘norm’ for communicating thoughts and ideas. Videos are an effective way to engage and connect with your audience at events and conferences. Facebook analytics shows that video content has the largest reach compared to all other types of posts, including photos and statuses. Jump on the bandwagon and show what your company is all about.

4. KNOW YOUR MARKET

Any time you have a free moment, spend it identifying who exactly your target market is for your small business. Characterize these people and determine if they are the ideal market you hope to be targeting. Once this is identified, you will be able to better focus your marketing efforts, while avoiding extra expenses.

5. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

Now that you know who you are targeting, think about tactics as to how. In order to obtain and retain loyal customers, keep them engaged. Begin to learn who your customers are, and little pieces of their life. The more you engage with your customers, the greater the chance of them spreading the word about how your business did, and the great thing about word-of-mouth is that it is FREE.

6. PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS

Use powerful marketing materials! Don’t just settle for the mundane, boring pieces that may or may not be beneficial. Get more BANG for your buck with professional brochures, letterhead signage and car decals. You may only get a few seconds with a customer to make an impression, make it one that will last.

7. BUSINESS CARDS

The simplest way to market your business is with new and eye catching business cards, but don’t be the person who has them, and doesn’t use them. Pass them out to everyone you interact with. This is essentially growing your network one person at a time and with that, growing your potential customer base. It is the most traditional way of getting the name of your business out to the community and often the most effective way.

Need help promoting your business? Call today or stop in and talk to one of our print or marketing specialists! 308-532-1111

Use these tangible, reliable marketing pieces as a way to promote and sell your small business. Whether it is brand awareness or brand knowledge you are wishing to increase, print marketing can be a vital part of your small business’ success. Getting your name, your logo and your information out to the community is the first step in promoting your business, no matter what industry you are in.

Here’s a list of the best print marketing materials your business can use.

Business Cards & Loyalty Cards

The most essential piece of all… business cards. These 3.5 x 2.0 inch pieces of paper can create a strong and lasting effect. The key is to be creative while designing your business card, make it bold or unique, something your customers will remember. Creating a business card you are proud of is an important step. If you love the look you have created for your business, you are more likely to be constantly promoting it. You can hand them out to potential customers at any event, expo, meeting or social gathering you may attend. Business cards give customers a visual reminder of you and your business, and why not give them something to remember?

Loyalty cards can be equally as important to the success of a small business. Giving away customer loyalty cards with some incentive at the end will encourage your customers to make repeat visits to your business. Along with your business cards, make your loyalty cards wallet friendly, they should be small enough to fit, but big enough that you will see them in the clutter of a wallet.

Brochures & Flyers

In the midst of our digital era, print materials can be an even more important aspect of promoting your business. Brochures and flyers give you an easy way to present your business and your information quickly to a potential customer. They can also serve as a way to remind customers of your products and services. With a variety of styles, sizes and folds, brochures can be unique and versatile, along with being tailored to your business. Having these brochures and flyers available on display for customers when they enter your business, can grab their attention, as well as giving them a free takeaway of information about your business.

Posters & Banners

Posters and banners will always be a crucial piece of promoting your business. Whether it is for promoting an event, announcing a special or promoting a new product, large format can do the trick. Being that banners and posters are one of the largest forms of print marketing, they are often the most noticeable. Make your large format prints big and bold, so they are sure to grab a potential customer’s attention.

Direct Mail

Direct mail has been receiving some changing views in the most recent years. Some believe it is a dying kind of marketing, while others think it opens up an area for new businesses to come into with traditional print marketing pieces. A large percentage of people think direct mail is more convenient than finding advertisements online. Email marketing may be an easier and faster way to reach your customers, but it may not be as effective as a direct mail campaign.

Branded envelopes and even letterhead can set you apart from other businesses. Investing in these high quality pieces will show your customers you are willing to go above and beyond for your business and for your customers. Post cards are a popular form of direct mail as well. They can be used in a variety of ways such as promoting a product or a special event, thank you notes, or even holiday greetings throughout the year.

Promotional Items

Using your logo strategically on all sorts of promotional items and products can bring attention to your business. Find everyday products with functionality, so people are reminded of your business on a regular basis. Logo pens, thumb drives or note pads of paper can have a big impact. Promoting your business on t-shirts can also bring frequent attention to your logo and brand, imagine this as walking advertisement. Anyone wearing your brand name is giving your brand free advertisement, and what could be better than free advertisement?

No matter what you decide is your best option for promotional marketing pieces; make sure you find a great printer. Finding the right printing company can make all the difference in creating your vision for your business. Pro Printing and Graphics would be happy to be that printer for you!

Stop by or call to speak with one of our print specialists! 308-532-1111.

Businesses often run on limited resources, and have limited budgets for design and creative work. When money gets tight, more often than not, that already limited creative budget gets cut even smaller. If you want to continue to grow and see success, try not to cut your creative budget. Take your business a step above the rest and find a graphic designer that will raise the value of your brand and your business.

First Impressions Matter

How many times have you heard, ” you only have one chance to make a first impression?” Far too many to count I’m sure, and why should your business be any different? The design of your logo can be that strong first impression you are trying to make to your potential customers. The higher the quality of design, the more credibility your business will hold in their minds. While great design can influence people’s choices, we often associate our thoughts and feelings towards something based on how visually appealing it is.

Brand Recognition

Graphic design is what can set your business apart from the rest. Having a consistent and solid design will give your customers a visual experience, while conveying your business’s message. An important key to graphic design is consistency. Your business will have the most success while keeping your brand and logo, color scheme and design consistent across all forms of marketing and business material. This will help your business to be more recognizable and memorable to customers.

Professionalism is Key

Having consistency and a brand that is recognizable will boost your company’s professionalism, at the same time professionalism will convey a sense of credibility. Take the time and money to create a visual that will make a great impression. The last thing you want for your business is to look cheap. Spending a little extra money up front to have a strong design created, will benefit your company tremendously in the long run. Companies that invest in their customer experiences often have a greater market share and allow customers to have the ability to engage with your brand, which will in turn create loyalty amongst your customers.

The design of your brand is now the core of customer experience. Creating a cohesive design and embedding it into the heart of the business will begin to show a deeper loyalty among your customer base. Use your graphic design as a piece that will stand out amongst the rest.

If you are looking for consistency in your graphic design, marketing materials and brand image, stop by or call us at 308-532-1111.

Tangible!

There is something to be said about an advertisement that you can hold in your hand, post on the fridge or throw in the bottom of your bag for a later date. The perk of printed material is that it has a long life, whereas social media is a fast paced medium, where you may lose and never find that offer again. Even if the print material is lost in your bag of things, at some point you will find it and be reminded of the company who sent it.

Credible!

With the growth of technology, users can now post and publish anything online, making it incredibly easy to find inaccurate information. With print marketing, your company will carry that sense of credibility because the information is coming directly from the source. This should boost the reliability of a company in the customer’s eye.

Engaging!

The key to drawing your customers in with print media is the attention-grabbing content. Excite your potential customer into taking the time to read your brochure, business card or company newsletter. Grab their attention with your logo and bold or colorful content.

Creative!

Flyers, postcards or business cards do not need to be boring. Go outside the box and do something different while creating your printed materials. Print marketing material is all about how and where you use it. This will give potential customers a positive image of your company, if done correctly!

Unique!

With technology surging ahead, many business owners believe print media is dead. They are wrong! As of recently, businesses have been relying solely on online marketing, which now leaves a gap in the print media sector. Choosing print media, while competitors opt out, might grab a new potential customer’s attention. Differentiate your business from the rest by using print marketing strategies, such as direct mail pieces, brochures and flyers.

Interested in print marketing for your business? Let us help bring your ideas to life! Call or stop in to speak with one of our print or marketing specialists! 308-532-1111